Improvement in hoop-skirts



UNITED STATES- GEORGE" w. LocKwooD AND ALBERT CARTER, or NEW roeien. Y.,

PATENT (DEEIGE.N y,

ASSIGNORS TO C. C. CARPENTER & CO., OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOOP-SKIRTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 139,510, dated June 3, A1373; application -led March 17, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, GEORGE W. LOGKWOOD and ALBERT CARTER, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have jointly invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Hoop-Skirts, of which the following is a specification:

The object of our invention is to furnish a hoop-skirt which will support the rear portion of the skirt and pannier, while thelatter or bustle will be sulliciently braced to maintain the proper contour to the dress. To this end our invention consists of a hoop-skirt or tournure having a series of horizontal central wires arranged to bear against the body, and a series of curved spring-braces extending rearward from said wires and connecting with the usual bustle-hoops in a manner to allow the braces to bend upward when the wearer is sitting, and to receive their recoiling action from their connection with said central or interior wires, and a vertical tape connecting with the waistband, whereby the bustle or pannicris supported directly from the back or central wires and allowed free movement when the wearer is either sitting or standing, but sustaining the pannierin its proper contour when the wearers position is erect, the formation of the springbraces being such as to retain their elasticity and prevent them from collapsing.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a skirt embracing our invention. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation ot' the same, and Fig. 3 a top vlew.

The skirt proper is composed of a single wire Wound spirally upon a form, the upper portion of the front being left open so as to form an upper and lower series of interior horizontal division springs, A B, to rest against the back of the wearer, and the lower front portion is cut away and the ends clasped to vertical tapes C, and connected by a front apron, D, or curtain, just above the feet, so as to rest against the limbs, the diagonal portion of the wires a b terminating in the horizontal back wires A B, or the latter may be made of separate wires and secured to the diagonal wires by the usual clasps. The skirtwires are connected by the usual vertical tapes F to a waistband, G. The upper portion o r pannier H of the skirt rests uponthe hips, and the interior division-wires A B, formed by the pannier and middle portion of the skirt, rest against the rear portion of the body, which causes the rear part ofthe skirt to be held the proper distance from the body of the wearer, and to prevent the forward movement of the skirt, as said central or interior wires A B will bear directly upon the posterior of the body and upon the front of the lower limbs for accomplishing the results stated.

For the purpose of imparting the desired degree of rigidity to the pannier portion Hof the skirt, in order'to support thevweight of the skirts without causing the downward collapse of the pannier, we combine with the same and with the upper series of horizontal wires A, a series of curved spring-braces, I, the

lower ends of which are attached, by means of clasps c, to a central tape, J, to which the hor` izontal wires A B are attached, and which is itself connected to the waistband G of the skirt. The spring-braces I extend from the central tape J in a rearward-curved direction to the pannier-wires H, to which they are attached by means of clasps at suitable distances apart.

Another important function of the springbraces I, in addition to that above described, is to permit the free vertical movement of the pannier-wires when the wearer is in a sitting posture, the springs readily yielding and partaking of a curved shape, and serving to imrnediately return the pannier to its normal po- -sition when the wearerrises from her seat.

It will be observed that the rear diagonal wires a b of' the skirt terminateat the junction with the horizontal division-wires A B, and the vertical side tapes F on a line with the rear portion of the body, and to lill in the space between said side tapes and the front tapes C auxiliary wires and tapes O Q are interlaced in any suitable manner.

It is obvious that a separate pannier possess# 'i ing a series of straight wires and supportingsprings may be detachably secured to a .hooping-tape J and springbraees I7 as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses this 12th day of March, A. D. 187 3.

GEORGE W. LooKWooD.

ALBERT CARTER.

Witnesses:

WM. BREWSTER, JAMEs PHILLIPS. 

